Total Recyclables Collected: 308,286 kilos
Eco Kolek mobilizes 'Eco Warriors' for Puerto Princesa coastal rehabilitation
Project Zacchaeus (PZC), through its Eco Kolek program, mobilized 27 professionalized waste workers to accelerate local mangrove rehabilitation efforts during the city government's 22nd "Love Affair with Nature" conservation drive on February 14. The initiative, coordinated with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO) and the local government of Barangay Sicsican, targets coastal protection, climate change mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. The Eco Kolek delegation, which included eight PZC administrative staff, joined community partners and volunteers in planting mangrove seedlings along the city's vulnerable coastlines.
by MItchell Gimena
3/11/20262 min read
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Project Zacchaeus (PZC), through its Eco Kolek program, mobilized 27 professionalized waste workers to accelerate local mangrove rehabilitation efforts during the city government's 22nd "Love Affair with Nature" conservation drive on February 14.
The initiative, coordinated with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO) and the local government of Barangay Sicsican, targets coastal protection, climate change mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. The Eco Kolek delegation, which included eight PZC administrative staff, joined community partners and volunteers in planting mangrove seedlings along the city's vulnerable coastlines.
Strategic alignment and civic engagement
The annual environmental event integrates ecological stewardship with community mobilization, drawing participation from various sectors, including newlywed couples from a city-sponsored mass wedding.
For Project Zacchaeus, the engagement serves a dual operational purpose: fostering civic volunteerism among its ranks and solidifying institutional partnerships with local government units (LGUs). The deployment of Eco Warriors highlights the workforce's expanding mandate—transitioning from specialized plastic recovery operations to broader environmental conservation roles.
Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron underscored the long-term objective of the rehabilitation drive.
“Nagtatanim kayo hindi para sa sarili nyo, kung hindi para sa ating kalikasan (You are planting not for yourselves, but for nature),” Bayron stated during the event. He emphasized that the initiative is an investment in community resilience and shared stewardship rather than an individual benefit.
Scaling community-led conservation
The participation of the Eco Warriors in city-led conservation efforts aligns with PZC's broader sustainability metrics. By integrating its workforce into municipal environmental programs, PZC continues to demonstrate the viability of utilizing a professionalized, community-based sector to meet both local ecological targets and international climate resilience standards.
The organization continues to work alongside global development partners to scale its circular economy and coastal protection frameworks across Palawan.
